Rescue Mission looking for new leader

Published: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 08:46 PM.

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The mission’s shift to focus on addiction recovery is because much of the homelessness is caused by addiction to alcohol, narcotics or prescription drugs. Many of those are war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If they’re married, they come home from war and they’re a different person,” Hazard said. “Sometimes there are anger issues and other things that need to be dealt with; the spouse says, ‘I can’t take this,’ and then the person is out on the streets and resorting to alcohol or other drugs.”

Hazard announced the mission will be consolidating its women ministries Oct. 5 to the former site of the Restoration House on 11th Street. The facility will fulfill what the Rescue Mission attempted to do with Bethel Village in Springfield by housing solely homeless women with children and women with substance abuse issues. Three or four of the facility’s units will be reserved for women with children.

“If they do the same things as the Restoration House but helping women, it shouldn’t be a problem for the city,” Brudnicki said. “If it fixes people, great.”

The downtown facility will be reserved for men only, offering work and rehabilitation programs, Hazard said, but due to fire safety restrictions the capacity of the shelter will be reduced greatly.

“It’s not by our choice; these things have to happen,” Hazard said. “It breaks our hearts because homeless people hurt. Many have mental issues health issues and who is going to take care of them?

“But we can try,” he added. “But with more people becoming indigent and with the economy … it’s not getting better.”

PANAMA CITY — The Rev. Billy Fox and the Panama City Rescue Mission have parted ways.

Fox and his wife, Carol, directed the Rescue Mission’s operations for eight years before Thursday’s decision.

The Rev. Henry Hazard, pastor of Heritage Bible Church and president of the Rescue Mission’s board of directors, would not say Friday who initiated the separation.

“In an attempt to serve the hurting people in our community better, the Rescue Mission is changing,” Hazard said. “This change includes a change in leadership and its emphasis.”

The new emphasis of the Rescue Mission, which transitioned to Pathways Christian Recovery Ministries earlier this year, includes a stronger focus on addiction recovery.

Fox said he could not comment on the matter due to an agreement.

An executive committee, consisting of the top five ranking board members, will oversee the mission’s operations until Fox’s replacement is named.

Hazard said the operations of rescue missions throughout the country have changed from housing transients to providing programs to homeless women with children, veterans and young people who made bad choices — often caused by substance addiction.

“If that is not dealt with, they are out on the streets again,” Hazard said. “They survive until they die and we are trying to interrupt that.”

Beginning in January of this year the Rescue Mission reduced meals offered to transients to one per day and shelter stays to five days for every 60-day period. The mission also created seven programs for extending the stay of people willing and able to follow the directions of the agencies in the support center, drastically decreasing the volume of people. The change in clientele resulted in a drop-off in police calls from three times a day to three times a month.

“People have said the situation has gotten better,” Mayor Greg Brudnicki said Friday.

Whether it was the introduction of a city panhandling ordinance, a change in the mission’s policies or a combination of factors, Brudnicki could not say.

“If they’re only doing one meal and we have less police calls, obviously it’s gotten better,” Brudnicki said. “It’s not perfect.”

Hazard said the policies initiated under Fox’s direction brought the mission to this point and “we are building on that foundation,” he said.

The mission’s shift to focus on addiction recovery is because much of the homelessness is caused by addiction to alcohol, narcotics or prescription drugs. Many of those are war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If they’re married, they come home from war and they’re a different person,” Hazard said. “Sometimes there are anger issues and other things that need to be dealt with; the spouse says, ‘I can’t take this,’ and then the person is out on the streets and resorting to alcohol or other drugs.”

Hazard announced the mission will be consolidating its women ministries Oct. 5 to the former site of the Restoration House on 11th Street. The facility will fulfill what the Rescue Mission attempted to do with Bethel Village in Springfield by housing solely homeless women with children and women with substance abuse issues. Three or four of the facility’s units will be reserved for women with children.

“If they do the same things as the Restoration House but helping women, it shouldn’t be a problem for the city,” Brudnicki said. “If it fixes people, great.”

The downtown facility will be reserved for men only, offering work and rehabilitation programs, Hazard said, but due to fire safety restrictions the capacity of the shelter will be reduced greatly.

“It’s not by our choice; these things have to happen,” Hazard said. “It breaks our hearts because homeless people hurt. Many have mental issues health issues and who is going to take care of them?

“But we can try,” he added. “But with more people becoming indigent and with the economy … it’s not getting better.”